Box



April 15, 1952 BOX 2 SHEETS-SHEET.;

Filed May 24, 1947 FIG.

M. H. ROBIN April l5, 1952 BOX 2 SHEETS- SHEET 2 Filed May 24, 1947 Patented Apr. 15, 1952 OFFICE BOX Maurice Henry Robin, Cheadle, England Application May 24, 1947, Serial No. 750,323

In Great Britain December 18, 1946 8 Claims. (Cl. 22o-41) This invention relates to boxes of the kind fitted with a roll-type lid or closure; that is to say.

a. lid capable of being slidden along suitable tracks from', a closure position to an inoperative and formed o f a plurality of slats extending between the tracks and connected together so as to provide an assembly which is longitudinally flexible whilst having adequate stiffness in a direction normal to such slats. 1

`Boxes of the kind aforesaid are made for a variety of uses, for example as pencil boxes, and by the present methods of manufacture the tracks for the edges of the lid or closure are formed as grooves in the sides of the box. Such boxes were originally made of wood as an assembly of sides, ends'and'a false bottom or back, and the forming of the grooves in the side was quite a simple operation. With recent developments of mouldable materials, known generally as plastics, many articles are-,now madeby moulding, one ofthe majorjadvantages of which is that an article such as an ordinary box, i. e. one not having a roll-type lid, rcan be made of a smaller number of parts, thus reducing or eliminating assembly operations and combining lightness with strength.Y The manufacture of a moulded box with a roll-type lid presents a considerable problem as regards the formation of the tracks for the lid, the only known alternative methods of forming such tracks being either to make the sides as separate parts, when simple moulds can be used, or by using a relatively complicated or expensive mould. v The `object of the present invention is to provide a, simple and improved manner of manufacture by moulding of a box of the kind fitted with a roll type of lid or closure. -f

Referring tothe drawings: Fig. 1 is an exploded perspective view showparallel to the top wall a', a downwardly facing shoulder F which extends the full length of the wall a andhas one end curved downwardly in a 90 degree arc, as at G, substantially concentrically with the adjacent radiused portion E of the shell.

A furtherrebate H in the lower portion of each side wall a3 provides adjacent and parallel to the free edge of the latter, a second downwardly facing shoulder.

The lining B aforesaid is constructed as an open-topped rectangular box with a central longitudinal wall I dividing its interior into two compartments, one of which is of full length as at J, whilst the other is subdivided byV transverse walls K, L into three sections M,N, O of progressively-diminishing size. Y

In assembling the box body, the lining B is inserted upwardly into the shell A until the edges of its side walls b abut the shoulders F, the lengthand width of the lining being such that it nts snugly between the end walls a2 and rebated side walls a? of the shell.

Under these conditions the end walls b2 of 4the lining B are disposed beneath the ends of the shell ,aperture D and each end wall b2 carries l longitudinally extending vertical webs which abut lining there may be three semi-circular webs Q ing the components of a pencil box body made in accordance with the present invention;

Fig. `2 is a. plan view of the assembled box, with the roll-type lid tted but partly retracte to show the interior of the box body;

Figs. 3 and i are sections on thelines 3-3 and 4 4, respectively, of Fig. 2;

Fig; 5 is a section on the line 5-'-5 of Fig. 3.`

In the construction illustrated, the bodyof the box compri-ses an outer shell A which is open at the bottom, a lining 'or core or inner shell B, and a basemember C, each of these components being formed as a one-piece moulding.

The outer shell A is rectangular in plan view and 'has` an elongated aperture D in its top wall The side walls a3 of the Sheila are nat and y each lis rebated internally to provide, belowand whichform continuations'of the side walls b and central partitions I respectively, the edges ofthe outer webs Q fitting against the arcuate shoulders G of the shell A. v

The base member C is shaped and dimensioned so as `to t snugly into the lower rebates H of the shell side walls a3 and between its end Walls a2, an upstanding lip R along both sides and across one end of the base member C abutting the underside of the lining B to hold the Ylatter in place.

At the end of the base member adjacent the webs Q, is formed an upstanding wall S which engages the .adjacent end wall a2 of the shell and whose upper corners are connected to the longitudinal parts 0f the lip R by integral gussets T having their edges shaped to t against the webs Q. Y

The upper face of the base member C is ref cessed so as to vleave a ledge U extending along each side thereof adjacent the lip R. these ledges having arcuate continuations V on the inner faces of the gussets T as clearly shown in Fig. 1L

It will be appreciated` that when the com ponents A, B, C are assembled together, there are formed, along opposite sides of the box body thus produced, channels shaped like recu'mbent letter U.

The upper runsof each channel--is-bounded b y the underside'offthefshell top-Bay" and thev top of the lining side wall b', which is wider than 5 the shoulder F, the base of the channel being*` formed by the inner face of the shell side Wall a.3 (see Fig. 4). Similarly the lower run of each channel is dened by the bottom of the lining B and the adjacent ledge U of the' base member C, in conjunction with the inner -facelof the lip R.

As shown in Figs. 3 and 5, the 'semicircularf bend of each channel, bounded internally by the edge of the adjacent web Q, is defined at its" outer periphery by the curved ledge V on the baselilmembergvanda cor-resporidingl ledg'fe W formed inside the shell-A conentri'cally Yw'tl--V the shoulder G. The base of this section rof each chan-riel-` is formed bythe inner faces! of the shell Y side a3-'and the 'base member gusset J The U-shaped channels aforesaid forni-tracks for i slidably `receiving vthe lateralV4 edges'ora rolltype lflid-"X 'which latter is placedffin the lower runs'of the' channels,- between` the lining B -and base member C, before these oompients-fare'secured 'within -the outer shell A.

The roll-type lid X, which may be constructed infany suitable manner (but preferably as'v de scribed in 'myco-pendng' application Serial No. 687,581" filed August 1,1946) is madeof'sucl'if'a` length "asl to cover i the'- `shelll aperture lD,-- orf tov e leave substantially the fullf lengthofithe'lining compartments exposed, according to whether such 'lid is v*disposed in th upper- `or"low`er'runs' of its guidingtracks'.

In"'us'e,fthecompartment J o f a pencil-boxA so constructed may' .accommodate long pencils, whilst penholders may be placed -n'the shorter compartment M. The compartmentsN, O may serve for the'reception of s'mall"articles,'bu't itis D preferred'to'leave thesmallest compartment O empty and `to accommodate articles suchV Aas pen; nibs in thefcompartrnent N beneath a subsidiary! lid Y 'which' covers4 the' compartments N, O;

The lid Y, which `lies -beneathl the 'aperture D and normally fitsHflushwwith --thewupper edgesI of the-lining -wallsb, I -is capableof 'beingrocked upon the partition -wa-11 Le by rtheY application ofi pressure to the part thereof above the vcompart-V ment O, so that theotherpart ofthe huis-raised to 'expose the 'contents of -thefvcompaitmen't N.)

Preferably such `other 'pa-rt of l the'.lid Y shaped as a troughA Z whsund'er'side normally project/Sinto thboinpartnt N`arid" which may be 'used'to' 'accommodate an"article"'s1ich `as an" eraser. K l K Th'e ylidY is," of l course, positively' "retainedn position whilstfth'e" "rollltype' lid" is closed and pro-videsf'an "eictive' safeguard against the; `free j Cal movementlof thelid X being obstructed byl'small" .the bottom of said outer shell, said inner'shell'-= being spaced' from'the ftop=o`f s'aidiouterfshell'ad from' saidfbasetofpfovid fpperfandxlowerftrac'ks; f -v said-lidoperating-'in sa'id-'tracks; fintegral'longitf dinal -shoulders along'n the' 'sidesff andfextending 170 below thefunder: face;- ofA said--outer shell," the" upper longitudinal edges for said -inner -shell fbe'; ing in ContactA with- 'said-shoulders to provide a pair op track zspaces with-said outer shell,- `the; side Walls of said inner shell being in substantial 75 contact with they side walls of said outer shell, integral longitudinal ledges along the sides of the upper face of said base, upstanding lips along saidlsidesf'of :said base extending*above said ledges, the lower longitudinal edges of said inner shell being in contact with said lips to provide a pair of track spaces with said base between said ledges and said inner shell, one end of said outer shell shoulders merging with the corresponding end of said base ledges to form a pair vof lcontir'luou'sN tracks.

2. vA box` Acomprising an outer unitary shell open at top and bottom, an inner shell tted into said 'outer'shell and constituting a container open at the top, a roll-top lid'; a base tted into the bottom 1of saidk outer shell,` saidV inner -shellbeing spaced from Vthev to'poffsaidouter she1l and-from-"`K said base to vprovide upper and lower tracks; sa" 3 lid operating insaid-tracks;integral-longitridin4 shouldersl along `the sides and extending-below the funde'r -face lof `said outer shell, theupper`` longitudinal-edges'of said inner'shell beingin contact with said lshoulders to-provide a vpair of* track spaces lwith said-outer shell.' theside" walls of said inner vshell-being insubstantial-contat" with the side walls of said outer shell, integral longitudinal-'ledges alongthe sidesof the upper face of sai'dbase, upstanding lips along said sides of said base extendingl above said ledgesftli lower longitudinal edges'of said-innershell being -j in contact with said lips to provide-fa pa'rn'of-v` track spacesv with "said base `between "said ledges i and said inner shell, one end-of said 'outerfsfliell-f shoulders' merging With thecorrespondingend' of said-base led-ges to -forin lra pairOf' continuous f said 'baseto provide upper 'and'flower tracksfsaid" longitudinal ledges along the sides of the upper face of said base, upstanding lips along said sides of said base extending above said ledges, the lower longitudinal edges of said inner shell being in contact with said lips to provide a pair of track spaces with said base between said ledges and said inner shell, one end of said outer shell shoulders merging' with the corresponding end of said base ledges to form a pair of continuous tracks, and a flange around the top of said outer shell to retain said lid in position within said box.

`5. A box comprising an outer unitary shell open at top and bottom) an inner shell iitted into said outer shell and constituting a container open at the top, a roll-top lid, a base tted into the bottom of said outer shell, said inner shell being spaced from the top of said outer shell and from said base to provide upper and lower tracks, said lid operating in said tracks, integral longitudinal shoulders along the sides and extending below the under face of said outer shell, the upper longitudinal edges of said inner shell being in contact with said shoulders to provide a pair of track spaces with said outer shell, the side walls of Y said inner shell being in substantial contact with the side walls of said outer shell, integral lon- Ygitudinal ledges along the sides of the upper face of said base, upstanding lips along said sides of said base extending above said ledges, the lower longitudinal edges of said inner shell being in contact with said lips to provide a pair of track spaces v,with said base between said ledges and said inner"`shell`m9ne endV of said outer shell shoulders merging with-thecorresponding end of said base ledges to form a pair 'oficontinuous tracks, complementary curves at one end of said inner and outer shells and base to provide a track joining said upper and lower tracks.

6. A box comprising an outer unitary shell open at top and bottom, an inner shell fitted into said outer shell and constituting a container open at the top, a roll-top lid, a base tted into the bottom of said outer shell, said inner shell being spaced from the top of said outer shell and from said base to provide upper and lower tracks, said lid operating in said tracks, integral longitudinal shoulders` along the sides and extending below the under face of said outer shell, the upper longitudinal edges of said inner shell being in contact with said shoulders to provide a pair of track spaces with said outer shell, the side walls of said inner shell being in substantial contact with the side wallsof said outer shell, integral lonside walls of said inner shell being in substantial contact with the side walls of said outer shell,

' integral longitudinal ledges along the sides of the upper face of said base, upstanding lips along said sides of said base extending above said ledges, the lower longitudinal edges of said inner shell being in contact with said lips to provide a pair of track spaces with said base between said ledges and'said inner shell, one end of said outer shell shoulders merging with the corresponding end of said base ledges to form a pair of continuous tracks, a compartment in said box having a vertical wall, a subsidiary lid for said compartment extending over said partition and adapted to be opened by pressure on the extension thereof, said subsidiary lid being adjacent to said rst lid when the latter is closed and constituting means for preventing accidental opening of said subsidiary lid.

bottom of said outer shell, said inner shell beingf spaced from the top of said outer shell and from said base to provide upper and lower tracks, said lid operating in said tracks, integral longitudinal shoulders'along the sides and extending below the under face of said outer shell, the upper longitudinal edges of said inner shell being in contact with said shoulders to provide a pair of track spaces with said outer shell, the side walls of said inner shell being in substantial contact with the side walls of said outer shell, integral longitudinal ledges along the sides of the upper face of said base, upstanding lips along said sides of said base extending above said ledges, the

lower longitudinal edges of said inner shell being i in contact with said lips to provide a pair of track spaces with said base between said ledges and said inner shell, one end of said outer shell shoulders merging with the corresponding end of said base ledges to form a pair of continuous tracks, a compartment in said box having a vertical wall, a subsidiary lid for said compartment extending over Said partition and adapted to be opened by pressure on the extension thereof, said gitudinal ledges along the sides of the upper face open at the top, a roll-top lid, a base iitted into the bottom of said outer shell, said inner shell being spacedfrom the top of said outer shell and from said base to provide Upper and lower tracks, said lid operating in said tracks, integral longitudinal shoulders along the sides and extending below the under face of said outer shell. the upper longitudinal edges of said inner shell being in contact with said shoulders to'provide a pair of track spaces with said outer shell, the

subsidiary lid being adjacent y'to said i'lrst lid when the latter is closed and constituting means for preventing accidental opening of said subsidiary lid, said auxiliary lid having a depressed portion over said compartment to hold an article therein. Y

MAURICE HENRY ROBIN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record inthe le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS VFrance July 10, 1933N 

